Impact by Design

RE-SHAPING OUR WORLD THROUGH IMPACTFUL DESIGN

 Look around you. Chances are, if you’re at home or the office, you’ll be able to spot examples of graphic design just about everywhere you look. When one gets out and about into the world at large, this becomes even more evident. Design – in as far as it relates to brands trying to reach eyes, ears, hearts, minds and wallets – is one of the most ubiquitous parts of modern life.

 And yet, many people underestimate its impact and importance in the world around us. Yes, design is centrally about creating aesthetics – but the work we do is about far more than creating pretty pictures or fancy fonts.

 Great design actively seeks out opportunities to shape and reshape our shared world in a way that unfolds better futures for people by influencing trends and highlighting issues, becoming a part of contemporary discourse and ultimately, leading social culture in new directions. 

 In so doing, design has a direct impact on society, the economy and the environment. Smart, salient and intuitive design also improves accessibility to information and technology, a massive catalyst towards a more inclusive future.

 As such, designers have a two-fold responsibility. Our professional responsibility is ultimately to the client, whose message we act as custodians of. But we have a second design duty: to the social psyche that we plug into and upload our world view onto.

 So then, if design inspires conversations that deepen connections, why not have conversations that are worth having, that impact the world positively?

 In 2021, a Converse SA campaign sparked one such conversation here at home. Winning a Grand Prix at the Loeries, the Unity Laces campaign focused on creating awareness around xenophobia (a source of sporadic and ongoing violent uprisings) and the struggles of African expats living in South Africa.

 The success of the campaign lies in the simplicity of design that has something meaningful to say. After identifying countries representing the biggest expat communities in SA – Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Zambia – and incorporated their national flags in the footwear design, alongside SA’s flag. Each positioned on opposing sides of the laces, when the shoe is tied, they colourfully intertwine – African unity personified by simple, intelligent design.

 Sales reportedly jumped by 80% during the campaign. But apart from that, it raised awareness about the prejudice that many African foreigners face in SA, encouraging society to stand together against xenophobia.

 Glug, an international creative networking organiser, understands the power of thoughtful design like this. That’s why they aimed to create the world’s largest hub of posters protesting imminent global climate collapse. They created this database by calling on submissions from designers all across the world. These were then available for users to download free-of-charge.

 When you are led by purpose, as well as profit, the opportunities to change the world through design become endless. A London-based agency wanted to enable more city dwellers to reduce their reliance on plastics and find nearby zero-waste shops.

 But they moved forward on the foundation of a critical insight. Change is hard – therefore, channels to cause change need to be as easy-to-use and engaging (both are to hold interest long enough to make an impact) as possible. So, they created Useless, an online platform with a directory and host of helpful tricks. Ultimately, they used simple functionality and bold designs to make an impact.

 Design is so much a part of our daily lives. We cannot deny its impact – it influences our world and can, absolutely, change it. So, with that power, what conversations will you inspire? How are you shaping and re-shaping tomorrow to be better one design at a time?